Monday, December 24, 2007

first up - “the small”. willard wigan makes creations that are so impossibly small you’re left wondering how could he possibly work at that scale. sculptures that sit inside clothes pins, or atop a pinhead. how is it done? well some proof and a few answers can be found at his site which also sells prints of his work. the proof is here . thanks to vancouver ali for the link!

at the other end of the scale are the macro-engineering projects currently underway in dubai and soon to be underway in holland.

firstly dubai. dubai is an oil rich country that has rapidly expanded - so rapidly in fact that i wonder how the inhabitants can keep up with the changes - both visually and practically. perhaps the most potent evidence of change in dubai comes in the form of the “palm” developments which are so massive as to be visible from space.

here’s where they were at around this time last year. this link takes you to the main site for the palms development and allows you to learn about future plans as well as to tour the current development. the palm

meanwhile around the corner in holland:

environmental concerns have been raised around all mega construction projects for very obvious reasons. realigning coastlines and the corollary action of redirecting ocean currents, and redefining ecosystems, has many experts concerned about the long term effects of such projects. one wonders also at the aesthetic considerations - palms for dubai, tulips for holland, perhaps a beaver for canada, or a a newspaper wrap of fish and chips for england. how about a pint of guinness for ireland?